Severing apparatus



Sept 8, 1959 L. K. HEINRICH 2,903,545

SEVERING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1957 I l; c

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nited States Patent i SEVERING APPARATUS Ludwig K. Heinrich, Chesterton, Ind., assignor to The Celotex Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application January 28, 1957, Serial No. 636,561

`6 Claims. (Cl. 213-19) This Ainvention relates .to a new and novel severing apparatus.

It kis well understood that the economics of production, insofar as possible, demand vin'the manufacture :of products, that the lvarious steps of manufacture of the product l'bc continuous and, particularly, rthat operations insofar as possible tmust 'be accomplished mechanically as distinguished :from manually.

This invention :relates 'to a mechanical .construction for separating articles which are produced as a continuous operation. To all `intents and purposes the articles are separate and independent articles but their process of production -is :such that they are ljoined together, and it vis the principal object of the invention hereof to provide fapparatus lfor mechanically severing and separating such articles :at ahigh frate of speed.

Whereas the principal object `of this invention has just :above tbeen set out, it is .further 4the object of this Ainventiontolprovide such apparatus, which is operable at high speed to sever ythe articles or products, which ymay be operated with accuracy and yet is of simple construction and does not require human supervision. Other and 'further objects of -this invention will become apparent on reading the following description of the Linvention when *ta-ken together with the drawings lillustrative thereof.

T[he apparatus hereof is designed specifically :for sever- -ing lin uniform lengths, in lparticular thin paper such as tissue, which vinthe-.process of manufacture is adhered "as za continuous sheet or lstrip `to a base sheet material `4Vwhich is in the form of separate sheets. `On ysevering the continuous str-ip of ltissue which connects the base sheets of the assembly, `it will be readily understood, of

` course, lthat the entire assembly or article is separated from other of the such articles as a lseparate entity. However, the-invention is not to lbe understood as specilif'cally limited 'to the -severing of a tissue sheet 4adhered to -a'pluralit-y -of separate `base sheets. The invention may *be 'utilized in connection with severing of various strip- 'with sheets v'or strips Vof various weights although, practically, luse is probably limited to the severing of strips Aranging'from 'thickness of lthin tissue to strips of material rofthickness of about 1 to maybe 0.02". Such limitation'arises more 'from the aspect-of danger of combustion rather thanthat of practicability. The severing referred tofis 'accomplished vby Vcombustion or incipient combustion, `and when the sheet being severed becomes too thick, that is, the invention is applied to a too great a thickness or amount of combustible action, tire may be created which probably would be'dangerous, Iand such operation would not be practical in a production line.

=Briefly, the apparatus comprises an endless l'conveyor "ice 2 to which a base sheet is fed as individual tile-form units in contact, so that to all intents and purposes such -constitute a continuous or endless base sheet but which, however, being comprised of 'units of tile-form, are actually independent elements. As this stream of base sheets -moves forward on the endless conveyor there is dpr-ovided a paster a-nd the requisite application rolls for adhering an endless sheet of tissue on the top surface of the continuous line of tile elements moving forward on the conveyor. After the tissue lhas been adhered to the surface -of the base elements the line passes under a printer which is constructed to print on the tissue sheet a straight line across the width of the stream and directly over the conacting edges of two adjacent base elements. While "this printer is provided, its use is optional since, for example, if the surfacing sheet is a-very thin tissue it will not be required. The straight line printed on the surface sheet through of the thin sheet to which such line of chemical is applied.

Over `the Yendless conveyor, just beyond the printing apparatus referred to, there is Vprovided a drying ldevice -which it may or may not be necessary to use, but the use of such will be dictated by circumstances. Such drying `device may comprise radiant heat lamps or other equivalent source of radiant heat vfor drying the printed line which has -been applied across the width of the surface sheet. Continuing on the conveyor, the line then passes under a roll on'which there is provided a hot vstrip which may be heated electrically to about a dull red lheat and which is timed so as to Contact successively the strips across the sheet where the printer "has previously applied the combustible chemical. For example, in case the cover shet is a very thin tissue, the printing of a combustible .chemical will, in most instances, be unnecessary since the hot strip will quickly char or burn the tissue over the contacting edges of the adjacent base elements to which the surfacing tissue is applied, so that the assistance in such respect afforded `by the printed line of combustible chemical is unnecessary. It is to be understood, of course, 'that the various parts of the apparatus which have just above been generally referred to are properly timed and coordinated and that within the disclosure hereof such may be modified and rearranged as may be deemed necessary or advisable in connection with a particular production operation.

The apparatus hereof is disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein the figures are, to a large extent, dia- ,grammaticaL or at least simplified insofar as possible,

Aillustration and description, no attempt has been made to illustratefthe supporting frame work for the apparatus, andto some extent the drives for various of the rolls .have been omitted since they are merely conventional andthe 3 invention may be fully understood without illustration of or reference to specific driving devices.

The apparatus basically comprises a suitable endless conveyor which, at its ends, runs on rolls 11 mounted .on shafts 12 which are mounted in suitable bearings 13.

A'roller conveyor or other suitable device is provided for feeding the material to be operated on to the upper flight of the endless conveyor 10. As illustrated, this device over which the material to be operated upon is fed comprises a roller conveyor, several of the rollers 14 being illustrated. The base elements being processed and which, for the purpose of description, may be considered as tile-form units 15, l2 inches by l2 inches in dimension, are supplied in edge-to-edge contact as a continuous stream fed by roller conveyor 14 to the upper run of the belt conveyor 10.

Over the conveyor there is provided a device for applying a thin tissue sheet to the surface of the line of tile being moved along the conveyor. This tissue sheet is applied as a continuous sheet to the surface of the line of tile 15 which, being in edge-to-edge contact, as referred to, constitutes in effect a continuous surface to which such tissue sheet is applied. For adhering the tissue sheet to the surface of the tile units 15 there is provided a substantially conventional pasting device which is shown as comprising a roll of tissue 16 suitably supported for rotation on a mandrel 17 and feeding over paste-applying rolls 18 which transfer the paste or adhesive from a trough such as 19 to a surface of the tissue sheet 16. While, for the purposes of illustration and description, the pasting device has been shown as applying paste to a surface of the tissue, it is to be understood, of course, that in some instances it may be desirable that the paste be applied to the top surface of the tile units 15 as they are being fed forward, and that in such case the paste rolls and trough illustrated will not be used but that instead suitable means will be provided for applying paste directly to the top surface of the line of tile 15 as they move to endless conveyor 10. The tissue sheet, after the paste is applied to the surface thereof, may be trained over an applying-roll 23 which presses the tissue sheet onto the surface of the advancing tile line, and subsequent thereto the combination may pass under several press rolls 24 to suitably press and smooth the tissue sheet on the surfaces of the tile.

At this point it will be understood that the line of tile 15, moving forward on conveyor 10, while comprised of individual tiles, is nevertheless connected as a continuous stream by the tissue 16 which has been adhered to the top surface of the tile comprising the tile line. In order to sever the tile into individual composite elements cornprising tile 15 surfaced with tissue sheet 16, there is provided an apparatus which will now be described. That part of the apparatus which will now be described will be understood as to be used if necessary. If the tissue sheet 16 which is adhered to the surface of the tile 15 is a very thin sheet, it is not necessary that the unit,

which will be referred to as the printing unit, shall be used, although even in such case improved results or more satisfactory operation may dictate the use thereof. If sheet 16 is a heavy tissue or a fabric or the like, it is almost certain that it will be necessary to utilize the printing device but, as referred to, its use will be dicated by the conditions of operation of the over-all apparatus and will be dependent upon the specific applied sheet.

The printing device comprises an apparatus for applying to the surface of the tissue sheet a narrow line or strip of chemical extending across the width of the material being fed along the conveyor and printed directly over the contacting edges of adjacent tile 15. This printing device applies such strip of chemical as indicated at 25, Figure 3. This chemical is a supporter or combustion or is itself combustible and may be a solution of saltpeter or barium or potassium nitrate or chlorate, etc. For printing the chemical strip or line 25 on the surface tissue sheet 16 there is provided, suitably supported over endless conveyor 10, a printing roller 26 which is provided with a narrow raised portion which may be referred to as a rule 27 extending across the length of the roll. It will be understood that as roll 26 rotates, the mle 27 will contact the surface of the tissue sheet and will transfer thereto the chemical which may have been supplied to the surface of such rule 27. The diameter of roll 26 and its drive are such that rule 27 will contact the moving line on conveyor 10 at intervals corresponding to the length of the individual tile elements 15, whereby a line of the chemical is printed over each pair of successively contacting tile 15 as they move forward on conveyor 1t). For supplying the chemical to the surface of rule 27 there is provided a trough 28 and rolls 29, which rolls are suitably positioned for transferring the chemical from trough 2S to the surface of rule 27. This apparatus being merely a conventional device, it is deemed that a description of details with reference thereto is entirely unnecessary. The roll 26 may be driven by a suitable chain or the like 30 from gear 31 driven from the shaft of the conveyor roll 11. It will, of course, be understood that a suitable drive is provided for rolls 29, but as this is solely a mechanical feature it is to be understood that any suitable means as desired may be resorted to for driving these rolls.

After the line moving forward on conveyor 1t) passes the printing roll 26 it may pass through a suitable drying zone which may be provided by radiant heat lamps 35 or other equivalent heating source, whereby moisture may be evaporated from the tissue sheet and the printed chemical line 25 may be dried. The radiant heat lamps 35 are merely referred to as one conventional means for drying, and it is well understood that other suitable drying procedures may be resorted to.

The line of tile still connected by the adhered continuous tissue strip will next move to the severing station or position where the tissue is severed, so that the tile with its adhered tissue surface layer becomes a separate entity. The surfacing sheet is severed under what, for convenience, is referred to as a hot roll 36 which is suitably positioned over the conveyor 10 extending across the width thereof. This hot roll 36, of course, is suitably journaled and is driven by chain 37 through gearing 38 which is driven from the shaft of conveyor roll 11.

Hot roll 36 is not in fact itself hot. Roll 36 has mounted on its periphery a heated element shown as a strip or wire member 42 which is in fact mounted in a strip 43 of electrical insulation which is secured to the periphery of roll 36. It will, of course, be understood that the member referred to as 36 need not necessarily be an actual roll and that instead there may be used merely a suitable frame secured to the shaft to which frame the resistor strip 42 may be mounted. For the purpose of heating resistant strip 42 the ends thereof, of course, must be connected to a suitable source of electric current and there is shown as one means therefor insulating discs 43 mounted on the shaft 44 of roll 36, and to the peripheries of which discs there is mounted electrically conductive rings 45, which conducting rings 45 are connected by suitable conductors 46 to the respective ends of resistor strip 42. Suitable brushes 47 or the like may be mounted so as to contact the conductor rings 45 whereby an electric current may pass from a brush 47 through a conductor ring 45 and conductor 46 and then through resistor strip 42, the other conductor wire 46 and conductor ring 45 to the other brush 47 and thus a circuit may be completed through resistor strip 42.

On following the foregoing description of the apparatus it is deemed that the operation thereof will be clearly apparent. However, to briefly summarize the operation, such is as follows:

Tile-form units 15 in edge contact are suitably advanced to an endless conveyor on which an endless sheet of relatively thin combustible material 16 is adhesively and continuously secured to the top surface of the adyvancing' line of tile. The line of tile with the continuous adhered strip applied to the surface of the tile and serving to connect the tile together passes to what is termed a printing station where, by suitable printing operation, prperlytimed, a narrow strip of combustion-promoting chemical is applied directly over the contacting edges of each successive pair of tile as they pass through this station. Such printing is shown as accomplished by the use :jofa rule 27 mounted on a rotating cylinder, but it is lto be understood that such is merely illustrative and Vthat such a line may be applied to the surface of the composited sheets by a `form of ruling or any suitable procedure which will apply a thin line of the chemical directly over thecontacting edges of the `tile as the line is being advanced.y

If it is found that heating is necessary for drying, the necessity for which will depend largely upon the type of adhesive which is used to secure sheet 16 to the tile 15, such may be accomplished by the use of radiant heat lamps positioned above the conveyor line, or by providing any other type of drying system or procedure. For example, there may be provided a short tunnel drier section through which the line runs and through which heated air is circulated, or there may be utilized radiant gas heaters suitably positioned over the line or other procedure for drying may be provided, such as dielectric or high frequency or the like.

To sever the composited sheets, a relatively highlyheated member is applied to the surfacing sheet 16, again directly over the contacting edges of successive tile of the line. If the applied sheet 16 is a very thin tissue, it is only necessary to momentarily bring a heated member into contact therewith, whereby with the visible combustion the thin sheet will be suiciently charred through to cause severing of the individual units one from another. However, if the applied sheet 16 is somewhat heavier or is not suiciently charred through by a momentary application of the heated element, then the assistance of a combustible chemical or combustion-promoter is availed of. It is only in such case that the use of the printing device of the apparatus is necessary. In such case the printing device is operated to print a narrow strip of such combustion aid or promoter across the line on the surface and directly over the abutting edges of tile. Then when the hot member or rule is brought into contact with the surface of the line at the point where the chemical line has been printed across the surface, the action of the chemical assists the action of the applied heat to char or burn through the relatively thin surfacing sheet 16 and thus to sever the individual units one from the other.

In general it is suicient to heat the strip 42 of the hot roll to about dull red heat, although if the applied sheet 16 is a very thin tissue it should be suiicient to heat the strip to about 450 to 500 F. The temperature at which strip 42 is maintained for severing the applied strip 16 is dependent on several variables, principally the specific sheet .16 and the speed at which the line is being advanced. If the sheet is one which quite readily chars or burns through and the line is moving slowly, then a relatively low heat will serve the desired effect in severing the units. On the other hand, if the applied sheet 16 is on the thick side, or is a sheet which is not readily combustible, and if the line is being advanced at a relatively high rate of speed, it will be necessary that the hot strip 42 be heated to a relatively high temperature, possibly as high as 1500 or 1800o F., and it will probably be necessary that the assistance of the applied strip or line of combustion-aiding or promoting chemical be availed of. It is to be understood, of course, that in view of such Variables the operator will suitably alter conditions of operation so as to obtain the desired result.

Whereas a specific exemplication of the invention has been disclosed in the drawings and above described in the specification, it is to be distinctly understood that within the scope of the disclosure, various alterations may be 'made in and substitutions made for the specific constructions shown and described, and it is contemplated that such may be availed of. For example, whereas all of the operative elements of the apparatus are shown as driven from a single power input, chain 50 driving a sprocket mounted on shaft 12 of one of the conveyor rolls,` it will, of course, be understood that any desired Itype of drives 4may be employed so long as the various elements of the apparatus are suitably synchronized. An entirely different type of sheet pasterl may be employed; as, for example, circumstances may dictate it advisable to spray the adhesive on the top surface of the tile. Any conventional or specially designed printing device or its equivalent may be rutilized to apply the thin narrow strip of chemical composition to the surface ofthe surface sheet, and `that for severing the units alternative constructions may readily be devised. As an example, instead of using the hot strip as referred to, there may be provided relatively hightension or spark-producing elements which will serve to ignite the narrow line of chemical combustion aid or promoter, which will thus result in severing the surface sheet and bring about the separation of the individual units.

The principles of the invention hereof having been disclosed, particularly in connection with the specific exemplications as illustrated in the drawings, and in accordance with the requirements with respect to the disclosure of the invention involved, I claim:

l. Apparatus for individualizing units of a string of units in substantial edge-to-edge contact and connected by an adhered continuous thin membrane and comprising a conveyor for moving the string of units forwardly in combination with printing means operably positioned with respect to the surfacing membrane and applying to the membrane a chemical combustion aid as a narrow line thereof immediately over the contiguous edges of adjacent units and sequentially following, heated igniting means operably positioned with respect to the surfacing membrane and means operably associated with the printing means, the heated igniting means and conveyor and synchronizing the respective means to sequentially print a narrow line on the membrane immediately over the contiguous edges of adjacent units of the string of units and subsequently bring the heated ignition means into intimate association with the lines so printed.

2. The method of individualizing the units of a string of units in substantially edge-to-edge contact and connected by an adhered continuous membrane and comprising the step of applying to the membrane a chemical aid of combustion as a line application immediately over contiguous edges `of adjacent units and subsequently applying heat localized with respect toy the applied chemical and of intensity suicient to disintegrate the membrane along the line of chemical application.

3. Severing apparatus comprising a conveyor, mounted thereover a printing member mounting a printing rule, operatively associated therewith transfer means applying printing fluid thereto, drying means drying the applied fluid, a hot rule in operative relation to the conveyor, means heating the hot rule and synchronizing operating means actuating the printing rule, the hot rule and the conveyor whereby as the conveyor advances the printing rule prints on the surface of material carried by the conveyor, the dryer dries the applied printing and subsequently the hot rule contacts such printing.

4. Severing apparatus comprising a conveyor, mounted thereover a printing member mounting a printing rule, operatively associated therewith transfer means applying printing uid thereto, a hot rule in operative relation to the conveyor, means heating the hot rule and synchronizing operating means actuating the printing rule, the h-ot rule and the conveyor whereby as the conveyor advances the printing rule prints on the surface of material carried by the conveyor and subsequently the hot rule contacts such printing.

5. The method of severing thin combustible material comprising the steps, applying to the material a thin line of combustion aiding chemical and subsequently raising the temperature at the position of application of the thin line of combustion aiding chemical, to sever the material by pyrolysis,

6. Apparatus for severing sheet material comprising a frame, a conveyor mounted thereto, a roll-like member mounted for rotation above the conveyor, a rule mounted to the periphery of the roll-like member, a trough member for chemical fluid associated With the roll-like member and rolls mounted thereto and transferring the chemical uid from the trough to the rule, spaced therefrom over the conveyor a second roll-like member, an electrical conductive resistance strip mounted to the periphery ofthe second roll-like member and connections therefrom to a source of electrical energy, and drive means driving the two roll-like members in peripheral synchronism and at the lineal speed of the conveyor.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 751,527 Marr Feb. 9, 1904 1,194,124 Barrow Aug. 8, 1916 1,884,174 Oznum Oct. 25, 1932 2,227,497 Hallman Jan. 7, 1941 2,554,160 Gunter May 22, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 308,338 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1955 

